CLRC Writing Center

USING PUNCTUATION EFFECTIVELY

Punctuation marks are like signs that tell the reader how your words work together.



Period
.
Come to a full stop.

What follows will be an independent sentence that ex-
presses a new idea.

Comma
,

Slow down, take a breath, and then proceed with a close-
ly related thought that continues the sentence.

A comma cannot join two independent clauses.

Semicolon
;
Slow way down and pay attention to whats coming next;
it will be relevant.

A semicolon is used primarily to join two independent
clauses that are clearly related to each other.

Colon
:
What follows explains what came before.

Use a colon between two closely related independent
clauses OR after an independent clause when it intro-
duces something: a list, a quotation, or an appositive.

Parentheses
( )
An interruption that will take you off the main path for a
moment.
Use parentheses to set apart information that is relevant
but not necessary for the sentence to be.